


Save Me

by ZenithAxia



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (some) humans have magic, Anxiety, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FLUFF EVENTUALLY, Gray is AFAB Agender, Gray is alternative in style, Gray is the chubbles, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's nothing like Monster Magic though, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Other, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Self-Harm, Some Monster Racism, Tags will be updated as needed, bad language, meaning they're kinda fat, monsters have been on the surface about 4 years
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-07-25 23:41:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7551682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZenithAxia/pseuds/ZenithAxia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Terrible at summaries....I'm sorry)</p><p>Gray's depression has taken over their life. On the night they decide it's finally too much, they're intercepted by a certain skeleton. But...Gray isn't the only one who needs saving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I know this first chapter is pretty (really) short....hopefully I'll have the next one up soon. Enjoy.

Gray stood, leaned over the rail of an old covered bridge, looking down at the river that flowed about one hundred feet below. They’d spent many nights on this bridge; it had become somewhat of a sanctuary since they’d discovered it. As they gazed down at the water, they ran the fingers of their right hand over their left forearm, wincing slightly at the stinging feeling the touch left as it brushed a number of raised spots.

The action put Gray into a sort of trance state. Thoughts ran through their mind. How long until someone noticed they were gone? Probably a while. No roommate, no family, no friends, barely spoken to co-workers and classmates. No one to miss them. The voices buzzed, saying terrible things.

After a few minutes of this trance, Gray sighed. Time to go.

They stepped up onto the railing, eyes still fixed downward. Tears began to form in their eyes, but they blinked them away. No use crying anymore. They glanced upward to the glow of the city over the tops of the trees. It looked so far away.

“Goodbye.” they whispered into the night, closing their eyes.

Just as they tensed to jump….

‘watcha doin kid?’


	2. Company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually got the chapter done in a decent amount of time! Enjoy! ^_^

The unexpected voice startled Gray; and instead of falling forward, they tumbled backward, back hitting the bridge with a loud thud. The impact forced the air from their lungs, their eyes shutting tight as they groaned and attempted to catch their breath. Slowly, the world stopped spinning and their breath returned. They took a few deep breaths before opening their eyes opened to an oddly concerned looking skeleton in a blue hoodie.

“HOLY FUCKING HELL!” they shrieked, rolling away and jumping up to face the stranger. “You scared the shit out of me dude!” They clutched their chest in an attempt to calm their now racing heart.

A small, amused chuckle came from the skeleton. “sorry kid.”

Gray collapsed onto their butt and sighed. The skeleton hovered silently for a moment before stepping closer.

“so,” the skeleton looked down at Gray, “whatcha doin out this late, kid?”

Gray looked down and away, avoiding looking in the skeleton’s direction, “Why do you care?” They sighed, sounding more exhausted then they’d intended.

“heh. cuz maybe i recognize the position you’re in.”

When Gray finally looked back up, the skeleton’s smile was gone. Replaced by a familiar grimace and understanding eyes.

“Look, Bones, thanks for the concern, but you don’t know me. Why should you care?”

“can’t just let you hurt yourself kid.” His stance relaxed somewhat, though still guarded.

“Why?” they sighed in frustration, “You don’t…”

“the name’s sans.” He extended a hand.

“…Gray.” They responded.

They eyed the skeletal hand a few moments before accepting it, and sans helped them up. They took a minute to look over the monster in front of them. He was just about the same height, maybe slightly taller, and he was wearing the blue hoodie they’d noticed earlier, black basketball shorts, and…..were those slippers? As they conducted their inspection, they unconsciously kept a hold of sans’ hand. He didn’t say anything, just looked at them with an amused smile. He’d already gotten as good a look at them as he could in the darkness. A mass of curly, mid-back length, light green hair, pale (too pale?) skin, dark clothes, some facial piercings (those always intrigued him). And, of course, the hunched shoulders of someone with the world resting on them. That’s some body language he knew well. When Gray finally finished their appraisal, they looked up…..and promptly noticed their hand still in sans’ grip. They flushed red and immediately pulled away, hands disappearing into their pockets.

“S…sorry!” they diverted their eyes again.

sans just laughed. “no worries kid.” He tucked his own hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

Gray fidgeted nervously. They were unsure of what to do now. How to get rid of this skeleton.

“can i walk you home Gray?” his voice brought their attention back.

“What? Home?” they shook their head. “N….no….you don’t have to do that.”

“well, we could just hang out here then.” He obviously wasn’t going to leave them alone.

Gray weighed their options. The skel….sans wasn’t going to let them do what they came here to do. And…maybe some company would be nice.

“O….okay. I guess….company on the walk home would be nice.” Gray muttered.

Sans gave a big smile. “great!”

The two of them stood awkwardly for a few moments, before Gray turned and started to lead the way. The path was a familiar one; they barely had to look where they were going. It was quiet as they walked, but not uncomfortably so. Just as Gray’s mind began to wander, sans broke the silence.

“so, you seem pretty ok with my being a monster.” His tone hinted at his unease.

“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?” Gray asked. But they already knew the answer.

“well….a lot of people aren’t is all.”

“I’ve never had a problem with monsters.” They answered truthfully. “Not all of us are hateful.”

Gray missed it as sans’ eyes flicked down to their chest. “yeah. Can’t be too careful though, ya know?”

Gray nodded. “I know what it’s like to be judged for what you look like.” They paused, then spoke again quickly. “Not that it compares to what you guys go through!” their cheeks tinted red as they hoped their words didn’t offend.

“nah, it’s cool.” Sans smiled reassuringly.

Gray chuckled nervously, “My last roommate was a cat monster. He….uh….he would sometimes let me….pet him….” another chuckle, “when I would have….I mean, to help me calm down.”

They sighed and another silence fell over the pair. It was sort of tense until Gray muttered, “I’ve never met an unkind monster.”

sans didn’t answer. But that statement put him slightly at ease. The air between them lightened, and once again they walked in silence. Fifteen minutes passed, both of the late night walkers lost in their own thoughts, when signs of habitation began. They passed a few clusters of houses before Gray spoke up.

“Um….” They stopped in front of a small trail that led into the trees. “I….kinda….I know a shortcut.”

sans turned and stared a moment before bursting into laughter, much to Gray’s confusion.

“What’s so funny?” their eyebrows furrowed as they watched the skeleton.

“nothing, kid.” sans said, regaining his composure. “lead the way.”

Gray gave him an incredulous look, but headed into the trees. sans followed behind. It actually didn’t take long before they were exiting into the parking lot of an apartment complex. Gray slowed a bit, unsure if it would be safe for sans to see where they lived. But…if he’d wanted to do something, he had plenty of chances…. Before they even realized it, they were looking at their apartment door. They stared at it in shock. When had they climbed the steps? Then they remembered sans. They turned to face the skeleton, who was just standing there patiently.

“This is me.”

Sans shifted on his feet, looking like he was debating something. Before Gray could say anything…he made up his mind.

“you got a phone?”

“Of course I have a….”

He shoved his phone into their hand. It took a moment for Gray to react, but they eventually got it and put their number in and handed the phone back. Sans looked at it then typed something before putting it back in his pocket.

“i’m gonna text you tomorrow. if you don’t answer by noon, i’m gonna stop by to check on you.”

Gray was taken aback by his forwardness and obvious concern. People they’d known for YEARS didn’t show them that much concern. A lump was quickly forming in their throat , and tear stung at their eyes.

“You….don’t need to do that.” Their voice cracked.

sans’ smile widened, “ ‘course i do. not just gonna leave ya hangin.”

Gray stared at him, and actually managed to give a small, sincere smile. It made sans’ breath hitch.

“Goodnight Sans.” Gray turned to unlock their door.

“night, Gray.”

They gave one last look over their shoulder, “And thank you.” Then they closed the door.


	3. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it took longer to finish this chapter than I hoped. Lots of dumb stuff happened. But! Here it is! Enjoy!

Gray woke gently the next morning. Something they weren’t used to. Looking at their phone, they expected it to be pretty late considering how rested they felt (another thing they weren’t used to). Contrary to that expectation, the clock on the screen said 9:30am. Shaking their head and looking again, sure enough that was the time. On the second glance, Gray noticed a text from an unknown number.

xxx-xxx-xxxx:  
*knock, knock

What?

Gray made a confused face at the message. Wait…could it be that skeleton from last night? No way. He was really checking on them? What was his name again? Sans! That was it.

*Sans?

xxx-xxx-xxxx:  
*you’re supposed to say “who’s there?”

It WAS him! The lump in their throat made a comeback. They didn’t think he’d actually follow through.

*Who’s there?

xxx-xxx-xxxx:  
*orange

‘Really?” Gray thought, giving the text a flat expression.

*Orange who?

xxx-xxx-xxxx:  
*orange you glad to hear from me?

Gray rolled their eyes at the terrible joke, but couldn’t help but smile. They kind of were glad. No one had really shown much concern for them in a long time.

_But how long will it really last?_

They sighed at the thought.

*Yeah. Thank you Sans. I really mean it.

xxx-xxx-xxxx:  
*kid, there’s no need to thank me

‘Yes there is.’ They replied in their mind. ‘No one has cared for a long time.’

Gray didn’t say that of course. They didn’t say anything. Instead, they rolled out of bed and walked to the kitchen of their small apartment, slipping their phone into the pocket of their pajama pants.  
There wasn’t much in Gray’s kitchen. Depression and anxiety around people made it sort of hard to find the motivation to go shopping. So, they decided just to make some tea. Once the teapot was filled and placed on the stove, they sat down at their small table. They spaced out until their phone going off startled them out of it. Fishing it from their pocket, there was another text from Sans’ number. They figured they should probably put the number into their contacts. Nodding to themself in agreement, they hit “add contact” and put him under the name “Bones.”

They snorted at the name, “Real original, Gray.”

Back-tracking, they checked the message.

Bones:  
*so, i get off work at 6. mind if i stop by?

Another message arrived as they read.

Bones:  
*just wanna check in, ya know?

Gray stared at the messages for a few minutes, unsure but oddly excited, until the whistle of the teapot reminded them they were making tea. Leaving the phone on the table they prepared the mug, returning to their place once they were finished. Staring at the messages again, Gray debated. They’d just met Sans last night, under…less than ideal circumstances. But he was being so nice, and Gray kind of wanted the company. And maybe they could make up for how they’d met. After a few sips of tea, they finally responded.

*Sure. See you then.

Bones:  
*Great! :)

A smile found its way onto Gray’s face. Was this really happening?

_He probably just pities you._

No. Gray stood, not wanting to let those darker thoughts set in. They decided to distract themself by cleaning their slightly (coughverycough) cluttered apartment; then, going to the convenience store around the corner for snacks. A thought made them pause. What did skeletons eat? For that matter, _do_ skeletons eat? They shrugged, figuring they’d just get their usual stuff. He’s not a human skeleton after all. He’s a skeleton _monster_ , and monsters had magic. Then they were off, picking up the piles of junk and letting their mind wander.

It took less time than they’d anticipated to tidy up. They sat around watching some alien conspiracy show on the Discovery Channel for a few hours to kill time before actually mustering the energy to shower and get dressed. The shower was quick and luke-warm, but Gray came out feeling…lighter. After a little deliberation, they decided to keep their clothes simple; black skinny jeans, an old My Chemical Romance tank top, and a plain black zip-up hoodie, with black flats to top it off. Making sure they had their wallet and keys, they were out the door.

~~~~~~

Sans texted Gray around 6am as he was leaving for his first job. He hadn’t expected a response until closer to noon, so was pleasantly surprised when his phone buzzed around 9:30.

Green:  
*Sans?

*you’re supposed to say “who’s there?”

Green:  
*Who’s there?

*orange

Yeah. It was lame, even for him.

Green:  
*Orange who?

*orange you glad to hear from me?

He grimaced at the joke. What the heck was that? He could do better.

Green:  
*Yeah. Thank you Sans. I really mean it.

His ever-present grin widened slightly. At least it seemed like his new acquaintance was doing ok this morning.

*kid, there’s no need to thank me.

There was no reply after that. Sans rested against the counter of the coffee stand he manned, thinking about the night before. He’d had a nightmare, third one that week, and decided to get some fresh air. Mt. Ebott National Park butted right up to the furthest suburbs of the city of Ebott, so it wasn’t a stretch to walk out there. When he’d reached the bridge, he’d noticed Gray almost immediately. Their pale skin reflected the moonlight pretty well, even with most it covered in black. He’d stopped not far away, watching them gaze down at the water below.  
Then they’d stepped up onto the railing. He knew he couldn’t let that happen. So he spoke up. And when he’d seen her soul…

He fiddled with his phone anxiously as an idea entered his skull. He should still check on them, even though they’d messaged him. To make sure they’re alright. Yeah. Definitely not because he just wanted to see them again. Nope.

*so, i get off work at 6. mind if i stop by?

Still no reply. He didn’t want to make them think he was being weird, so he followed with…

*just wanna check in, ya know?

When he still didn’t get a reply, he started to sweat a little. He hoped he wasn’t coming off as some kind of creeper. He hoped they were still ok…

Ten minutes later, his phone finally buzzed.

Green:  
*Sure. See you then.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

*great! :)

His smile got just a little bit bigger, and he found himself really looking forward to seeing this person he’d barely known a day. The rest of his shift at the coffee stand went pretty quickly, then he blipped home to change for his next job. The rest of the day, things that normally got to Sans just…didn’t. Snot-nosed kids trashing isles? He just shrugged. Prissy assholes making anti-monster slurs? Eh, while still a tad irritating, didn’t get under his skin like it usually did. He didn’t exactly know why he was so concerned about Gray, or why he was anxious to see them. Maybe it was the prospect of someone understanding how he felt, not exactly but close. The rest of his spare moments on his shift were filled with thoughts of green.

~~~~~~

An hour and a half later Gray stumbled back into their apartment, arms full of bags. Once the bags were dumped on the counter, they kicked off their shoes and tossed their hoodie over the back of the couch before plopping down on it. They closed their eyes and just breathed. The shopping trip had been more exhausting and anxiety-inducing than they’d bargained for, admittedly by (mostly) their own fault. They’d been stressed out over what to get. Twenty minutes were spent in the chip isle alone, and they passed the candy isle no less than twelve times. In the end, they’d settled with three bags of chips (Cool Ranch Dorito’s, Cheetos, and plain Lay’s), Jolly Ranchers, gummy worms, and an assortment of chocolate along with their regular groceries (which were honestly not much better). After a while, Gray felt calm again, but the almost peaceful feeling they’d awoken with was gone.

With one more deep breath, Gray pulled themself off the couch and returned to the kitchen to put the food away. Once that was done, there was still a few hours to kill, so video games it was! The booted up their Xbox One and popped in Halo 4. Halo was always a good distraction. This definitely proved true when Gray was startled by a knock at their door (they definitely didn’t squeak, thank you very much!) and a cursory glance at their phone showed it to be 6:15 and that they missed a text from Sans at 6.

Bones:  
*be there in a few

Shit. How had they not heard their phone?

“One sec!” they called, hurrying over to their closet to change into a baggy long-sleeve shirt (still black, of course, though this one was plain) to keep Sans from seeing things he shouldn’t.

Making their way to the door, Gray ran their fingers through their curly hair, taming it as best as possible before opening it. There stood the skeleton that had saved them not 24 hours ago. A ball of anxiety formed quickly in Gray’s gut. They took a second to look over him again in the better light. He didn’t look much different. He was still wearing the same hoodie, but underneath was a black polo. Gone too were the basketball shorts and slippers, replaced by jeans and a pair of blue converse respectively.

Sans did the same. Gray, on the other hand, looked much different. They were still pale, but looked less…dead. Their hair looked more put together. And their eyes were blue, a detail he hadn’t been able to make out in the dim light they’d had available. His own eyes got stuck there. They were deep blue, like the sky just as the sun set or the sea in a storm. Even with their mask up he could see that the mind behind those eyes was as deep as their color.

“Uh, hey.” Gray spoke first.

“heya.” Sans responded, his grin becoming slightly more at-ease.

“So…” the knot in Gray’s stomach tightened, “do…do you want to come in?”

“sure.”

Gray stepped aside to let him enter, shutting the door behind him. Sans walked into the open area, his eyes moving about lazily.

“nice place ya got here, kid.”

“Th…thanks.”

His eyes stopped on the T.V. where the game was still paused. It looked familiar. Maybe Undyne or Frisk had it…

“didn’t interrupt did i?’ he turned to Gray and motioned to the T.V.

“What? Oh! No!” Gray chuckled. “I was just killing time. Though I may have gotten a liiiittle too into it.”

Sans laughed, remembering the shuffling he’d heared before they’d opened the door. Gray decided they liked his laugh.

“it’s ok. _incus_ understand. _tibia honest_ …i can _sacral_ believe you agreed to having me over.”

It took Gray a moment to process the sentence. “Did you just….” And then they broke into laughter.

Sans decided he liked it their laugh too.

“thought you’d find that _humerus_.”

They took a few shallow breaths as they got a hold of themself. “It’d be a _fibula_ if I said I didn’t”

Sans smiled wider. The nervous tension that had been lurking between them, as well as in Gray’s stomach, died. He released a breath of relief as they walked into the kitchen.

“So…I know you said you just wanted to check on me but…” they placed the chips, candy, and some microwave pizzas on the counter. “…I thought, maybe, if you wanted, we could hang out for a while.” They fidgeted nervously as they spoke, “Um…you don’t have to…I know we don’t really know each other…”

Sans was shocked. He was sure Gray would’ve wanted him to leave ASAP. He cut off their nervous rambling by grabbing the bag of Dorito’s.

“i’m always a slut for Dorito’s.”

Gray giggled, their nervousness subsiding, “Oh gods, you’re a memelord too?”

He answered by opening the bag and throwing a handful of chips into his mouth. Gray couldn’t help but stare. When they caught themself, they looked away, turning slightly red.

“So, do you wanna watch a movie, or….?”

Sans chuckled at their reaction. “that game you’re playing looks interesting.”

They gave a huge smile, “Awesome!”

The pair settled in on the couch while Gray got the second controller set up. Sans picked up on the controls pretty quickly, and the rest of the evening was spent kicking alien butt, yelling curses and jokes at each other, and devouring junk food. Anxiety forgotten.

~~~~~~

Eventually, Sans’ phone went off, bringing them back to reality.

“it’s my bro. he has a hard time getting to sleep without his bedtime story.” Sans elaborated on the message.

“Oh, ok.” Gray replied, sad that he had to go so soon, it was only 9:30.

Despite everything, it was nice to have company. It wasn’t like Gray didn’t want to hang out. They just didn’t want to…inconvenience anyone. They knew they weren’t exactly the best company. Or really worth anyone’s time…

Sans could see the train of thought on Gray’s slowly falling face. No way was he letting it continue.

“i’d love to hang out again.” He asserted.

Oh. “Really?” Gray perked up a bit.

“definitely. i had a great time!” he flashed them a genuine and hopeful smile.

“I did too!” Gray smiled back. “I…uh…I have work most days, but I’m usually free by 8.”

“i’ll text you.” Sans made his way towards the door. “if you ever need anything, you can text or call. i know what those…dark feeling are like.”

“Thank you Sans.” Gray was thoroughly grateful, tears stung at their eyes. “That really means a lot. Same to you. If you need anything at all, I’m here.”

“Thank you Gray.”


End file.
